Candidates running for the Natrona County school board had a chance to voice their thoughts on education in Natrona County at a public forum Wednesday evening.

Instead of asking one question and having all candidates respond, the format allowed each candidate to respond to individual questions.

Only two questions from the audience were taken during the two-hour forum. All candidates responded to the audience questions.

Current trustee Steve Degenfelder was unable to attend the forum.

Audrey Cotherman and Jim Starrs are both running for the board's open two-year seat. All other candidates are running for a four-year term.

Starrs and Rita Walsh drew questions related to open enrollment and schools of choice. Both candidates said they'd like to see the board look at the possibility of neighborhood schools once again.

"I do favor neighborhood schools," Walsh said. "I think neighborhood schools promote community."

Walsh also praised the school district for its recent change in enrollment policy, which allows families to enroll at a school or Central Services.

Starrs said secondary schools and the district's "Lighthouse" programs should be kept under an open enrollment policy, but that he'd like to see school boundaries redrawn.

"At the elementary level, I do think were are going to have to look at neighborhood schools," Starrs said.

Todd Ingram and Doug Tunison both drew questions related to engaging all stakeholders in decision-making. Ingram drew a question specifically about the district's Interest-Based Agreement Process.

"It could be an effective model," Ingram said. "But I don't know that it's the best right now."

Tunison said he favored a decision-making model that brings everyone to the table, especially teachers and students.

"I think you get the best results when people closest to the ground are able to make the decision on what are the best things to be done," he said.

The forum, hosted by the Casper League of Women Voters, may have been the only chance for the public to hear all the candidates speak at once. No other groups have announced plans to host similar forums.

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com.

Candidate quotebox

Josh Carnahan

* On engaging the community: "Don't corner me at Walmart. Come to the board meeting. We don't know what you're thinking unless you tell us. Don't blog, don't send an anonymous letter. We want to hear from you in person."

Audrey Cotherman

* On equitable funding of schools: "I don't think it's just dividing up the pie and giving everybody the same amount of resources. So often we mistake the word equal for equitable."

Miles Dahlby

* On challenging the Wyoming School Facility Commission's construction guidelines: "It is the school board's role to change that. One of the big roles of the school board is to look at the whole forest, not just the trees."

Conney Edmondson

* On the truancy rate in Natrona County: "I think our school district has done quite a large amount to change that. The largest thing that we can do as a school district is make a commitment to help these kids."

Elizabeth Horsch

* On the role parents play in education: "Many parents play a very vital role, a very positive role in the education of their child. But there are many parents who are simply not educating their children, and in that case, the schools take on a huge load."

Todd Ingram

* On engaging the community: "The only way you're going to get the community more involved now is by making an extraordinary time commitment to get them back."

Donn McCall

* On whether arts education is a budget priority: "I am strongly in favor of maintaining art, music and that type of education in our schools."

Tandi Rinker

* On informing the community: "We do a lot already, but we can always do more. Never can we ever do enough communicating."

Jim Starrs

* On preschool education in Natrona County: "I can't say enough good things about preschools. I think we can it expand it, one school at a time, I'm strongly in favor of it."

Doug Tunison

* On what trustees can do to make good decisions for schools: "The most effective way to learn about schools is to spend some time in schools. I think that's really the only way to familiarize yourself with issues at each of the schools."

Rita Walsh

* On the board's role in handling disruptive children: "The school board's job is to set policy. As far as classroom management, it's all about teachers developing relationships with students."